by KH LeMoyne
Breslin withheld a smile. “At least Deacon’s fox has two PhDs, one in engineering, one in computer programming and design, and is certified to fly three different types of aircraft. You, Quinn?”
“Apology would be good about now, Quinn,” Elijah muttered, with a none-too-subtle jab to the back of Quinn’s head with his elbow.
Quinn closed his mouth, then stepped into the jeans. “Yeah, whatever.”
“Right, then,” Brindy responded. “You also need to know that wildfires have broken out in that area. Unusual given the time of year, but with some unexpected dry areas and wind gusts, the fires in the affected area are expected to spread. I’ve sent you that as well.”
Breslin brushed one hand over the top of his head as he continued to look at the new images of the wildfire. Why had he expected this one extraction to be easy? “Can you keep me updated as we go in?”
“Will do. And I’ll notify our medical team of that and have them on call.” Brindy gave a brisk nod, then looked directly at Quinn as if waiting for an outburst. When his shoulders sagged and he crossed his arms over his chest, she flashed a smile. “If you don’t need anything else, Breslin, I’ll head back.”
“Thanks. One of us will text you when we’re ready to pull out. If you can, I’d appreciate a fresh satellite view in an hour,” Breslin called out.
Brindy’s chuckle echoed before she walked up the stairs of the plane and spoke over her shoulder. “Sure thing. I’ll send coordinates for the pickup to whoever texts me.”
“Much appreciated,” Breslin said as Brindy stepped back into the plane and pulled up the stairs. He turned on Quinn. “Did your mother never teach you the three most important words in the English language?”
“What?” Quinn asked with a snide tone as his lips pursed for a smooch. “I. Love. You.”
“Please. Sorry. And thank you.” Breslin snarled the last, pleased when Quinn had the decency to drop his head in shame and quietly stuff his hands in his pockets.
“Technically, that was four words,” Aubrey said as her mouth twitched. She wiggled her forefinger toward Quinn. “He’s right, though. And I’m thinking Rayven totally knew what she was doing with that mark.”
“Too much information,” Quinn muttered, frowning at the closing plane door. “Why is Miss Smarty Pants sending us the coordinates for pickup instead of the other way around?”
“Because anyone tracking your phones or mine would have our location. And any other locations you’ve visited recently. They don’t have eyes on Brindy.” Breslin looked toward Quinn. “What new intel do you have on Nathan Wilson’s location?”
“We have somebody checking out two potential entry points,” Quinn said, shaking his head before he twisted back to Aubrey. “Really? Just like that, you trust him.”
At the insufficient answer, Breslin moved right into Quinn’s face, catching his gaze and holding it. “You told whoever is watching not to go onto the property, right?”
“Yeah, but nobody mentioned why.”
“Because the last locations blew up,” Elijah snapped with an exasperated huff. “You were the one who told us that, Quinn.”
“Right. I remember now. And yeah, I insisted no one go onto the property. It’s logical to expect any other labs would have sensors and triggers too. But they don’t know we’re coming.” Quinn gestured with his chin toward Breslin’s phone. “Did the fox find any signs of hidden charges?”
“Her name is Brindy. Ms. Yost, to you. And the satellite images were inconclusive. However, my gut tells me the men holding these kids will have surprises, most likely several. We need to be ready for any scenario.”
Aubrey huffed into her hand. “What about the wildfires?”
Breslin thought for a minute, then looked at each of them. “That may work in our favor. We just need to be smart. My female alpha is a former park ranger, specialized in rescue and recovery. We’ll go through some options she suggested on the way, but not all of us are going in for the kids.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Quinn growled.
Elijah slapped him across the back of his head with his open hand this time. “Turn it off.”
“Hey, I don’t—”
Breslin turned to Elijah and Aubrey. “Which of you have contacts in that area?”
“I have people who’ve been watching the enforcers drive in and out of the area since we found out,” Elijah said. “The land itself is empty except for two double-wide trailers that have been there for close to twenty years.”
“Is there somewhere there where we can finalize our plans after we’ve had a look?” Breslin asked.
“Yep. Empty half-breed houses. We can sneak in the back way.” Aubrey moved closer. “Is our girl okay?”
Good question. One that had been on Breslin’s mind ever since he’d left the cabin in the predawn hours. But these people weren’t interested in Rayven’s reasons for marking him or whether she was happy or if she felt he’d betrayed her. They wanted to know that the person who’d pull them all together to fight against the dangers in their clan was alive and coming back to them.
“She’s a survivor. If living under her father’s rule didn’t stop her, then facing a bunch of stuffy old alphas for a tribunal isn’t going to slow her down,” snapped Quinn.
While Breslin agreed, he’d met some of the stuffy and not-so-old-looking alphas. “I’d rather she not have to survive by her wits. We need to find Nathan. Fast. From Brindy’s latest text, eight alphas have already arrived for the tribunal.”
Elijah nodded and waved them toward a waiting SUV.
Breslin followed, climbing into the passenger seat. No more than twenty minutes down the road, a surge of energy bolted through his body. He dug his fingers deep into the SUV’s armrest as the mother of all power waves swamped him, making the emotional current that had hit him earlier at the airstrip seem like a ripple at low tide. What the… He glanced down and noticed his fingers had morphed into claws. Forcing a calm he didn’t feel, he leaned back in his seat, hoping no one was paying any attention to him.
She was going to be fine. She had to be fine.
But the half shift he’d just executed was impossible—except under one circumstance. Or, as far as he knew, two. But he wasn’t old enough to have the power to pull the beast inside him out and control it by bits and pieces. That took centuries of experience and power.
No. Somehow Rayven had assumed her alpha mantle, and even with their mating unfinished, he’d been sent peripheral benefits. His chest tightened as he ran through the scenarios and considered the consequences, finally settling on one he could live with. Deacon must have come through.
That his alpha had helped his mate shift and assume control of another clan left Breslin in limbo between two clans. But it hardly mattered to him. Rayven could decide, once she survived the tribunal, if having him as a mate was a fluke or a conscious choice. Either way, she was safe for now.
At least that was what he prayed for the next two hours.
“That’s the lane to the lab,” Elijah said, breaking through his thoughts and pointing toward his passenger-side window.
Breslin glanced at his phone, noting the location of their temporary quarters a few miles away. He slid his phone into a sleeve and looped it to the chain around his neck. Surveillance required his cat, and while Deacon’s magic allowed for clothing and some precious jewelry, phones were a luxury where magic was concerned. “Can you find a place to drop me in the next mile without detection? Actually, me and Quinn.”
“If you kill him, it might piss off Rayven,” Aubrey snapped. “Not that she’s all that fond of him, but she’s good about keeping all of us safe.”
“He’ll be meeting you at the rendezvous point with me. Whole and obnoxious as ever.”
Elijah pulled over to the side of the road. “Works for me. There’s a lane to a vacation home ahead on the right.”
“Did you think about asking me?” Quinn muttered.
“You need the
exercise. Or are you just tapping your leg against the back of my seat for the pure pleasure of a rhythm?”
Quinn ducked his head. “Car rides make me batshit crazy.”
“Leave your clothes in the car and follow me. Quietly.” Breslin waited for the vehicle to slow down, then slid the door open and launched. Paws hitting the ground, he slunk beneath the low tree branches and scrub, heading back the way they’d come, and then headed toward the trailers.
After two miles, he came to a standstill. Estimating time and distance had been a lesson he’d mastered after six weeks of training with Vendrick. If he estimated time incorrectly, he went without food. If he guessed too soon, a bucket of freezing water over his head sent the message to adjust his measurements. And if he gauged distance incorrectly, he’d plummet into a deep hole only to spend the night pacing in circles and eyeing the night sky above for freedom. Not that Vendrick didn’t eventually let him out.
Yes, training was everything. But Quinn had some secrets he was hiding, and Breslin guessed they might be invaluable on this mission.
He looked at Quinn and tipped his head toward the fields between them and the trailers visible in the distance. The coyote sniffed the ground, then, with a ninety-degree turn and a twitch of his tail, he headed off. Every once in a while, he’d plant his nose to the ground and almost smash it around in the dirt. Afterward, he’d glance at the sky, alter his direction, and trot to a new section.
After an hour, Quinn returned. Breslin’s cougar nudged him in the flank and angled his head toward Elijah’s final coordinates and started walking. When Quinn didn’t follow, he turned back and hissed with enough censure that rubble nearby shook. Damn, that was nice new power.
Quinn paused and cocked his head. It was obvious he didn’t know what had happened.
Good. Best to keep this under wraps until after the tribunal. Breslin didn’t know what the repercussions were for Rayven, but he hadn’t received a text from Deacon indicating any changes. Silence advised caution. A practice Breslin followed by habit.
He charged in the direction of their goal, sensing Quinn behind him. It wasn’t until he saw the golden lights through the windows and Elijah on the porch that he shifted back to human.
Elijah tipped his chin. “Nice trick. The clothes and all.”
“Alpha gift.”
The bear shifter harrumphed and tossed a change of clothes over Breslin’s shoulder to Quinn. “What did you find?”
“I think Quinn’s the best one to brief us.”
Quinn entered behind him and sank into a chair, accepting a deep bowl of beef stew from Aubrey before he tipped back on two legs and leaned against the wall. “How did you know?”
“High energy. Nervous, but focused. Not in the least fazed by Rayven’s recounting of the lab explosion—military?”
Quinn shrugged. “Did some time in a marine commando regiment decommissioning land mines.”
“And got kicked out because you reached the acceptable limit,” Breslin added, pulling out a chair at the table.
“Yeah. Sucks to be so good at something that they think your percentiles are working against you.”
“Detonation devices?” Breslin asked.
“All around the perimeter. I’m thinking just a few inches below the surface.” Quinn’s gaze turned distant as he lowered his bowl to his lap.
“And?” Breslin added.
“I smelled more.”
“What, like accelerant?” Aubrey asked.
“No. Probably electronic devices.” Quinn squinted. “I smelled the solder. And human sweat. Not together. The distances are all wrong. I expect there’s a mix of devices ready to take out any unprepared intruder.”
“Or take people out as they leave,” Breslin added. “Good work. You and I will go in to find and evacuate the victims. You two.” He nodded at Aubrey and Elijah. “Will maintain guard in the safe spots Quinn designates, and ensure the victims get free and clear.”
“What else have we got from your locals?” Breslin asked Elijah.
“My people were seeing traffic every six hours. The few in town confirmed vehicles going in and out as well. Not the van from Quinn’s photo.”
“You think those are guards switching shifts.” Which made sense, except why make the traffic so visible? More people increased the chances of exposure of their operation. Unless that was part of the plan. A lure for either Rayven or her people.
His phone buzzed, and he looked down at the new text. “Brindy’s managed some footage that shows excavation, potentially large tunnels, beneath the trailers. They span several thousand feet in each direction.”
“It would’ve taken some time to dig that out, even with equipment. Not to mention the problem with secretly bringing in beams to bolster and support tunnels.” Elijah shook his head. “We would’ve noticed that kind of activity around here.”
“Maybe not. If it’s been going on for a long time,” Aubrey said, staring at the ceiling for a moment in thought. “We don’t have great records in our clan, but what Rayven uncovered indicated the kidnappings went back for a decade or so.”
“That matches some of the data I gathered for Deacon. Still, it took a while for us to realize it was going on. Most of the children were too young to pledge, lived along the territory border, and were easy pickings until whoever was snatching them realized we’re very attached to our children.” Breslin slashed his hand through the air to stave off any angry responses. “My point was our clan cohesiveness and quick response time. We aren’t distracted by infighting, so once we found out, we leveraged a large crew to track the children.”
“Did the perpetrators ditch your kids when the pursuit got too heavy?” Quinn asked.
“We’ve accounted for most of the kids. Still, all children in shifter families are precious,” Breslin said. He turned to Aubrey. “What do you have on the wildfires?”
“Coming in fast from the north. Firefighters are working on a gully to spare residential areas, though if the winds shift, we’ll have a problem.”
“How long.”
“I’m not an expert, but my best guess is three hours. Tops.” Aubrey shook her finger at him. “And for the record, I don’t need to be on the outside waiting. I’m as good as any of these guys. I can fight. I can get in and out.”
“You’re also the one Rayven trusts the most.” He watched as the ferocity bled from her expression and was replaced with pride. “Which means Lena, Deacon’s mate, will trust you as well when you show up at the pickup point with Nathan. I’m certain she’ll be there. We need every advantage we can get to trim the timeline here. I want the best skills on the right jobs. You’ll also be the contact with Brindy.”
“I want you,” Breslin said to Elijah, thinking Mr. Muscle. “To keep an eye out while Quinn and I remain in the trailers. If the tunnel, or whatever it is, collapses, you’re our best bet to get out. You also make sure the others get safely to transportation and to the pickup point. Then head back to your life and keep an ear open.”
“And me?” Quinn leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, anything but relaxed. “I’m to bring up the tail after we find the boy?”
“No, I’m last out. You’re to bring Nathan out of the tunnels and go with Aubrey to Black Haven. Rayven needs her team there to protect the boy and stand behind her.”
“What’s your exit plan?” Quinn’s chair thumped back to the floor. “You’re mated. You should take the boy, and I’ll come out last.”
Elijah shook his head. “He’s right. You’ve already cut loose from Jacob’s enforcers, so you’ll be safer and of more use at Black’s sanctuary. I have a bar to run. Granted, I have someone there now, but if I show up over the border, my family’s at risk. I can’t just pull up stakes and go live in the in-law suite at my son’s house.”
“You have a son? Where does he live?” Quinn asked.
Elijah was silent for a moment with a glance toward Breslin. He just offered the bear shifter a smile, knowing wh
ere this was going. Hell, if this were his clan, he’d have sent his son away too. No, he’d have gone with him.
“He works in Silicon Valley,” Elijah said, looking rather sheepish.
Quinn’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. “In Black’s territory! Your son is pledged to another clan?”
With a shrug, Elijah avoided looking his way. “He got a good education there. Good job. Family. And he likes his boss at the Mann Foundation.”
Of course he did. Breslin hung his head, ground his teeth, and sucked in a breath. Callum’s son, one of Breslin’s wards, created and ran the Mann Foundation. An organization that pursued new biological and technological research and then contributed to Deacon’s ever-growing financial pool to educate and protect shifters. The world had conspired behind his back, and he hadn’t even suspected.
Aubrey smacked Quinn on the shoulder. “Cut Elijah some slack. He’s helped Rayven for a long time. We all do what we have to for the people we love.” She turned back to Breslin. “You still haven’t explained why you’re last.”
No, he hadn’t. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t bother. No one ever questioned his decisions. But these were Rayven’s people, and in a way, his too. He needed their support. “The minute we step on that land, we trigger whatever trap is set for us. We don’t know how many people are guarding the place. There may be other children besides Nathan. Whatever digital footprint exists from these experiments needs to either be gathered or wiped clean.”
Quinn scowled, then dipped his head and rubbed the side of his nose with his thumb.
“You’ve all worked with Rayven,” Breslin continued, pinpointing Quinn. “You can execute your part of the plan and make certain Nathan and any evidence gets to the tribunal before they vote. My job is to make sure no one lives to follow you. I’m better than anyone you’ve ever known in that role. I’ll also send a message they won’t misunderstand that we’re coming for them.”
Quinn lifted his head, a strange glint in his eyes. “You know that the task you’ve chosen falls outside the safe percentiles.”
“I’ve always understood that. But Rayven’s safety and that of the children being threatened comes first.”
